From my Balcony
by Krispy Kream
Summary: Roxas slowly finds himself falling for the man he met from his balcony. [Akuroku, rated for language]
1. August

From my Balcony - Chapter One

Notes: This is a very slow moving AxelRoxas fic. I just wanted to write an AU that wasn't high school centric. Please enjoy, this will be updated once every day till it is finished.

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August

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The sun was slowly approaching the horizon, finally relenting its sweltering hold on the city below it for the night. The late summer air was still warm, even in the dying sunlight, but Roxas could feel summer drawing to a close. The new school year was starting in a few weeks and with that came colder weather and less of an excuse to eat sea salt ice cream everyday.

Roxas was never known to stand at his small balcony watching the sunset before, he only remembered standing out on it one or two times ever since his family had moved into their current apartment complex several years ago. He supposed he was feeling nostalgic, though. He was just about to turn back inside when he heard a ruckus from the next room over, in the suite that had been empty for the last few months. Before he could even kick himself for wanting to eavesdrop, though, someone burst through the sliding glass door onto the balcony right next to his.

"Whoa, check it out! A balcony you can actually stand on!" cried a man with amazing red hair and mesmerizing aquamarine eyes, his arms outstretched and face bright with excitement. From within, Roxas could hear enthusiastic laughter and the angry shout of something about boxes.

Roxas jumped visibly when the man turned to look at him, realizing that he must have been openly staring. Rather than getting angry, though, the man smirked in a rather amused and mischievous fashion, turning around to speak to his suit mates.

"Alright guys, listen up! This right out here is mine, got it memorized?"

"Dude, Axel, you can't just claim the whole balcony as yours, you bastard," Roxas heard from inside. Axel snickered at the people he had been speaking to before turning to wink at Roxas.

What the hell?

The man was inside before Roxas could blink, and he stood listening to what sounded like four guys unpack their things through the still open door.

"Demyx! I said the balcony was mine!" Roxas heard the red haired man shout as he began walking back into his own place.

"Man, that's too unfair, I'm not going to let you keep the whole damn balcony all to yourself." The rest of the commotion was muffled behind the closed glass door.

---

Three men came to Roxas' suite, all wearing mostly black and none with any red hair. They didn't stay long, only long enough to introduce themselves to Roxas' mother and apologize in advance for any noise or disturbances they might cause. They never mentioned the red head Roxas had thought was also living with them. Maybe they just didn't think it was important.

Roxas' mother declared them to be "nice boys" who were attending the university relatively close to Roxas' high school. She said something about college students living next door would be good for tutors, not that Roxas needed help with school.

Roxas reasoned that college students were probably too cool to spend time with lowly high schoolers.

His mother laughed and said it never hurt to try.

---

"Red hair? You mean Axel." The tall, and rather intimidating, man said slowly. He hadn't heard his voice among the laughter and shouts when the men had moved in. "I sent him on errands so he would not break anything. Though," he added with a sneer, "I should have sent Demyx with him."

"Hey!" came a voice from another room that Roxas could only assume was Demyx, "I haven't broken anything important yet!"

The intimidating man looked in the direction the voice had come from. "Yes, but just because that clock was not important does not mean we did not need it."

"Oh, well, thanks anyway." Roxas said, rather nervously as he inched away from the door.

"What is your name? I will tell Axel you were asking for him."

"No, that's okay! It's not important, don't tell him I was here. I'll just come again some other time!" Roxas sped back to his own suite before the intimidating man could insist.

---

Roxas slouched on the couch in his living room, wistfully glancing at the sliding glass door from time to time. His backpack sat by the front door, ready to be picked up when he walked out the door the next morning for his first day of high school. His mother had made him clean his room and set out what clothes he would be wearing just so he was ready, and now all that was left to do was to wait until Roxas got tired enough to head to sleep.

That seemed a far way off, though. The sun was just beginning to sink below the horizon.

He stood and paced around the room several times, stopping to look out the door again. The man _had_ said he claimed the balcony for himself…

Before he could really think of the why, Roxas opened the glass door and stepped out into the warm summer evening.

"So you _do_ come outside once in a while." an amused voice said below him, and Roxas turned to see Axel laying on the floor of his balcony, looking up at Roxas upside down.

"What are you doing down there?" Roxas asked after a moment.

"Oh, just being a normal, lazy, college student," came the languid answer. He moved himself to a sitting position and motioned Roxas to do the same. "Come on, sit. Still plenty of day light left."

It took a moment, but Roxas complied, letting his feet dangle off the edge of his short balcony. Axel soon did the same, though his feet went farther past the edge than Roxas' did.

They sat in silence for a long while, Roxas glancing at the other man to see him smiling nonchalantly. He wondered if the man was waiting for him to speak first.

"So how are things, kid?" he asked, finally. His tone wasn't awkward at all, and Roxas found little difficulty in answering with the same feeling of being friends with the man for a long time.

"They're alright, I guess. It's my first day of high school tomorrow."

"First day? Really? So you're a freshman?" The man laughed, though mainly at himself. "Man, I feel old. I thought you were, like, 16 or something."

"Do I really look that old?" Roxas asked skeptically.

"Not old, really. Just mature. At least you probably have more common sense than other fourteen year olds."

"Maybe, but teenagers can be pretty stupid no matter how old they get." The man laughed loudly, and, for a moment, Roxas suddenly remembered he was speaking to a complete stranger.

"Aren't I living proof of that!" he declared, though he seemed rather proud of it.

"You're a college student, right?" Roxas found himself asking before he could recall that he had felt awkward talking to the man.

"Yeah, Xemnas and Luxord are second years but me and Demyx are just starting." When Roxas looked skeptical he added, "I bet you think I wouldn't make it through high school, huh? Believe me, Demyx graduating is more surprising."

They both laughed for a moment and watched as the sun disappeared completely beneath the horizon in silence.

"So what's your name, kid?"

"Roxas."

"I'm Axel. Got it memorized?"

Roxas smiled.

---

As Roxas was walking into his room to sleep his mother commented that she thought college students were too cool for high schoolers.

Roxas replied saying that that one wasn't cool at all.


	2. September

From my Balcony - Chapter Two

Notes: Just so you all know, every other chapter will be purely conversation, with no discription. This is the first of those chapters.

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September

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"Are you… asleep?"

"Mmnr…?"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Nnah! I'm up, I'm up!"

"What are you doing sleeping out here, don't you have a bed?"

"Well, it's your fault for making me think you're out here all the time."

"I never said anything like that… Wait, you've been out here every day since you moved in?"

"Maybe…….. This is my spot, why shouldn't I be here everyday?"

"I guess I can't argue with that. I'll just have to hang out here more often to keep you company."

"Oh, what a shame! Say, you started school last time you were out here, right? How is that?"

"Huh? Oh, it's okay."

"Uh-huh. Continue, please."

"What? Um, well…. It's harder, I guess. Than junior high, I mean."

"What about the people? Meet anyone new or get a girlfriend?"

"A girlfriend? No way, not yet."

"Why not? High school is prime dating season."

"But I just started."

"It's never too early to start dating, my boy. Well, except elementary school. No dating there. Younger girls have cooties."

"… I can't believe you just said that."

"What? Cooties? They do!"

"I was right when I told my mom you weren't cool."

"What? I'm plenty cool. What's wrong with the word 'cooties'?"

"That's what five year olds say when they want to sound tough about the fact that they're scared of girls."

"That doesn't mean it wasn't true! Come on, enough about my vocabulary, tell me about the people you met."

"Fine, but you're still a loser for saying that word. Um, well, I already had three friends from junior high, but I met this guy in math class who was pretty cool so our groups of friends kind of… merged, I guess."

"So how many friends total is that?"

"Six."

"That's a pretty good size. Three is puny."

"It is a little pitiful, isn't it?"

"Yeah, you're going to be a loner at this rate."

"I suppose you're mister popular?"

"Of course! You don't think my only friends are the guys I live with, do you?"

"I guess that's too sad, even for you."

"… That was an insult, wasn't it?"

"…Yes."

"Alright, just checking."

"…"

"…And?"

"And what?"

"You are so bad at this 'tell me about your day' thing."

"I've never had to elaborate before. And I'm done talking anyway. Didn't you start college recently? How has that been?"

"It's good."

"…It's good?"

"Yeah."

"That's all?"

"What do you mean, 'That's all'?"

"And you said I was bad at elaborating."

"What? You are!"

"… And why do you think you're allowed to not elaborate if I had to?"

"Well, I did ask you another question."

"… Alright, fine. What kind of things do you do in your classes?"

"The teachers talk a lot and then they tell us to read a lot."

"Is that really all you do?"

"Pretty much."

"Man, I can't wait for college."

"Yeah, it's pretty badass. You can even make your classes whenever you want, so you can sleep till noon every day."

"… Do you do that?"

"What, sleep till noon? Nah, I sleep till eleven."

"Haha, yeah, because that's a lot better."

"Demyx sleeps till one."

"… He always seems to beat you at sucking at things."

"That's what we keep him around for."

"I should start hanging out with him, then I can tell people I'm smarter than a college student."

"…"

"…What?"

"You're starting to catch on."


	3. October

From my Balcony - Chapter Three

Notes: I have no idea how to play poker. Thus, I was very vaugue with this chapter.

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October

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When Roxas rang the doorbell, he was afraid the tall, intimidating man was going to answer again. He didn't, thankfully. It was Axel. The blonde was ushered inside and shown into the dinning room.

"I still think it's weird to hang out away from the balcony." Roxas said, just like he had when Axel invited him over several minutes before.

"Yeah, the idea of being 'balcony buddies' is pretty cool, but it's starting to get cold and I hate the cold. So we should hang out inside more often." Axel replied. "Aright, everyone, this is Roxas," he announced to the three other people in the room.

"So you're the reason Axel is such a bitch about the balcony," said one of them, who was almost as short as Roxas.

"At least he keeps him away from anything… flammable," said the tall, intimidating man.

"I say," began the last man, who was almost as tall at the tall, intimidating man, "That we bet actually money in honor of Roxas joining us!"

"…No." came the answer from the intimidating man.

"You guys don't bet real money when you play poker?" Roxas asked.

"Not every week, at least," Axel started to answer.

"These suckers only use money when we play with the other eight friends of ours once a month," the less intimidating man finished.

"Luxord never lets us put in less than fifty dollars when we use money, we'd all be broke in a heartbeat." the shorter man added.

"Less would be worthless!" exclaimed the man Roxas could only assume was Luxord.

"Oh, I should have asked before I dragged you over here, but have you played poker before, Roxas?" Axel asked, and Roxas shook his head.

"Not really."

"Alright! That means I won't lose for once!" cried the short man in excitement.

"I doubt that," the intimidating man claimed. The shorter one pouted at him.

"You in, Axel?" Luxord asked.

"Nah, not yet. I'll just sit out for a couple rounds to teach the noob here."

Luxord nodded and dealt the cards. Axel explained the rules softly into Roxas' ear and walked him through his first few rounds.

"Alright, so now you have three of these kind of cards," he started.

"So I should get rid of these two?"

"Exactly."

"What if I don't get more cards like this? Is it still worth something?"

"No, they're worth jack as they are."

"…Okay."

Roxas placed two of his cards on the table and Luxord supplied him with two more, face up.

"Hell yeah!" Axel exclaimed for Roxas, as the blonde had no idea what had just happened. "Full house, bitches!"

"Damnit! You're done helping him, Axel!" the shorter man, who Roxas had found out was named Demyx, yelled.

The intimidating man who was apparently named Xemnas simply pushed his chips toward Roxas in silence.

"Alright, alright, someone get me some chips," Axel said, moving his seat farther away from Roxas.

Roxas spent the rest of the night constantly having to ask if his cards beat anyone else's. More often than not, Xemnas or Luxord would win, but there was the occasional set of cards that made Demyx howl in frustration which made Axel laugh hysterically. Demyx was the first to lose all his chips, with Roxas closely following. The other three lasted hours longer.

"Ah, I should get back. I still have school tomorrow." Roxas finally said as the hour approached eleven.

"Light weight!" Demyx called from the other room.

"It is kind of late. Come on," Axel said as he stood, "I'll apologize to your mom for keeping you out."

"Alright. Thanks for letting me play, guys," Roxas said to Xemnas and Luxord, who both nodded in response.

"Come play next week, we'll make you good at this game yet," Luxord said.

Roxas nodded as he followed Axel out the door.

---

When his mother asked what kind of card game kept people up so late and made them so noisy Roxas answered Egyptian War, and said nothing about the gambling.


	4. November

From my Balcony - Chapter Four

Notes: Another conversation chapter. I really like writing these.

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November

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"Man, is it Thanksgiving already?"

"Just about."

"I still haven't decided if I'm going home for it, or not."

"Why wouldn't you? Unless you don't like your family…"

"Nah, it's not that, I like my family just fine. It's just that I live kind of far away."

"How far?"

"It's a four hour drive."

"Oh…. I can see why you wouldn't want to go."

"Yeah, I'll go back for winter break and all. But to just go there for a weekend, that seems a little pointless."

"What are the other guys doing?"

"They've all got plans. Families that live closer to here and friends I've never met. So I'm stuck here by myself if I don't go home."

"That's really depressing."

"I guess. It's not like I've never been home alone before."

"But it's a holiday, you're not supposed to be by yourself."

"I think I'll live."

"……"

"What's that face for?"

"… You should come with me for Thanksgiving."

"And eat dinner with the rest of your family? No way, I couldn't intrude like that."

"It shouldn't be a problem, my cousins bring friends every year."

"But still, it'd be weird. I haven't known you for _that _long."

"Hold on, I'll go talk to my mom."

"Wait, Roxas! ……………."

"Did the other guys already leave?"

"Why?"

"My mom doesn't want you to be alone at all this weekend, so she wants you to come over as soon as you're by yourself."

"… You shouldn't have done that."

"I just didn't want you to be by yourself."

"…Well, I'll come over later. No use walking the three feet to your door when we're just going to sit like this anyway."

"Yeah, that's true."

"… So where do you normally go for Thanksgiving?"

"My aunt's house a couple towns over. My grandparents live with her, so all my relatives that are close by go there."

"Anyone I should look out for so I don't get into any bear hugs of death or something like that?"

"Well… They're all kind of obsessed with discussing what they're thankful for, so you should probably think of a few things before we go."

"What do you normally say?"

"Really generic things like my friends and sea salt ice cream."

"Haha! I'll just say the same things you say, then. That'll keep me out of trouble."

"Actually… we do this thing before we eat where we go around the table and everyone has to say something different."

"Damn, I almost got off easy."

"Sorry, my grandpa is a little crazy."

"Nah, it's okay. But man, what am I thankful for?"

"You have plenty of time to think about it. And since they don't know you, they might start with you."

"Too late, I think I already thought of something. And no one else would be able to say the same thing."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm thankful that I moved to this apartment building."

"…"

"You think that's good enough?"

"I think I'm thankful for that, too."


	5. December

From my Balcony - Chapter Five

Notes: This is an exchange of letters between Axel and Roxas. It doesn't count as a conversation chapter because... well, because I said so.

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December

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To Roxas,

How's your winter break going? Mine's been okay. The drive was, of course, long and boring as I expected. I'm so glad I didn't go home for Thanksgiving. Thanks for that, again. It was fun. But you still shouldn't have done it! No, I will never stop bugging you about it.

Have you eaten any sea salt ice cream yet this winter? I wouldn't put it past you, you seriously have a one track mind when it comes to that stuff. I'm not a big fan of ice cream, so I don't know what's so good about it. You might be able to get me to try some during the summer. But not right now, it's cold enough as it is. Damn, I hate the cold.

Anyway, I just thought I'd write because I know your address and I have nothing better to do right now.

Hope you're enjoying yourself,

Axel

---

To Axel,

I wasn't expecting you to write, wow. Shouldn't you be out with your family or friends? They can't all be going to college with you. My friends keep bugging me about how I never hang out with them anymore. It's not my fault, though, they should be yelling at you. And you can yell at me about Thanksgiving all you want, what's done is done and you had fun. You should watch out, or I'll drag you to all my family gatherings. They like you, for some reason. I don't know why.

What's wrong with eating ice cream during the winter? It's not like it's cold inside, I have a heater, you know. You're really missing out by not eating sea salt ice cream, it's really good. This summer I'll make you try it, just because I know you're a baby when it comes to anything cold. You looked really funny in your huge jackets, by the way. Like you were in a cocoon. Are you going to turn into a butterfly when spring comes?

It's a good thing you wrote to me first, because I have nothing better to do but I didn't know your address. It's weird, I always want to go out on my balcony, but I know you won't be there. This is all your fault.

You should enjoy yourself, too.

Roxas

---

To Roxas,

I go out with people, but there's only so much to do where I live. It's kind of a dinky little place. What are your friends complaining about? They see you every day at school, don't they? Why would they yell at me? I didn't do anything! And I'm not going to any more of your family things. It's not that I don't like them, it's just… You have to admit, I look like an outsider when I'm there. They can't really like me as much as they say they do.

I'm not a baby, I'm just used to warm weather. Laugh all you want, it was comfortable!

I think I know how you feel. I don't have a balcony, and it's way too cold to be going outside, but most of the time I don't feel like doing anything. I get this really lethargic feeling around the same time I always went outside before. Does that happen to you?

I am enjoying myself plenty!

Axel

---

To Axel,

How can you say you didn't do anything? You're the person I'm spending all my time with instead of them. And some of my relatives were saying things about your weird hair, but other than that they were telling me to bring you along to something else.

How much would your family miss you at Easter?

A four hour drive is not enough to change the climate, so I know you weren't raised in some place where it's warm during the winter. A four hour plane flight, maybe, but not a car ride.

Whenever I'm with my friends when I'm normally out on the balcony is when they start complaining about my never hanging out with them. That's about the time I get really boring to them.

Say… what do you want for Christmas?

Roxas

---

To Roxas,

Your friends should just learn to deal with the fact that you've gotten in with a cooler crowd. And I hate you so very much. I actually mentioned spending Easter with you to my parents for no good reason and they actually encourage it as long as they get to steal you for holidays next year. Let me warn you, it's not going to be fun. I swear!

It's not that I grew up in a warm place, I just like warm places better, so I can't stand being cold at all.

I try not to hang out with anyone when I would normally be talking to you. I know the same thing would happen to me.

…You are not buying me anything for Christmas.

Axel

---

To Axel,

If I told my friends that I had gotten in with a cooler crowd it would be a lie. Unless you mean spending time with your roommates. They don't seem to mind me too much, so I kind of consider them my friends. I hope that's okay. And my mom said spending holidays with your family sounded like a fair trade, so she's all for it. You can't get out of it, now.

Maybe you're cold blooded. It's possible, you're weird enough.

You should just come back so I don't have to be so bored all the time.

Why can't I get you anything? We're friends, aren't we?

Roxas

---

To Roxas,

I think my roommates would be insulted if you didn't consider them your friends. And damnit! Stop making me do rude things like crashing your family gatherings!

Maybe you're ice cream blooded. I know, that was lame. I can't think of a good come back to being called cold blooded. You try thinking of one, I bet you can't.

Good thing I'm coming back soon.

We may be friends, but I'm not letting you drag me to family things AND buy me presents. Besides, I already looked for something to get you, and I couldn't find anything. So you don't get to buy me anything if I couldn't.

Axel

---

To Axel,

Fine, just hurry up and come back, I'm really bored.

Roxas


	6. January

From my Balcony - Chapter Six

Notes: Axel and Roxas play the "Question and Answer" game, spured by inquiries about each other's new year's resolutions.

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January

---

"What's your favorite color?"

"Black. What's your favorite type of pasta?"

"Bow ties. What was the name of your first pet?"

"I've never had a pet."

"What? No way! You can't have a childhood without a pet."

"Never had one."

"That's crazy."

"What was the first thing you set on fire?"

"Haha, my mom's oven mitt. Did you eat your vegetables when you were a kid?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"A legitimate one! Now answer."

"Uh, well I ate carrots and celery with peanut butter, does that count?"

"Hell no, I mean the stuff kids hate, like broccoli and string beans."

"Oh, then I guess not. But my mom never tried to hard to make me eat it. What… was the name of your first girlfriend?"

"Larxene, but she was more of just a normal friend than a girlfriend. So she still hangs out with us all the time. "

"Is she that girl who was at poker night?"

"Yeah."

"She was… kind of scary."

"Hahaha! That's what was so fun about dating her. Who was the first girl you liked?"

"… My friend, Olette. Hayner liked her, too, but I think we're both over her now."

"I bet you both did that 'pick on the girl you like' thing, too."

"Only Hayner did. But he makes fun of a lot of people, so he could actually get away with it. Why did you start waiting for me everyday on your balcony?"

"Hm, I think it was because you looked like you would be fun to pick on, you know, because you were staring at me."

"Is that really the only reason?"

"I guess it wasn't. I don't know, I just had this feeling like I wanted to talk to you."

"Huh."

"What's your favorite piece of clothing to wear?"

"Pants, I guess. What was your favorite book you read in school?"

"The Crucible, man. Those chicks went crazy at the end. Why did you come out on your balcony after you saw me?"

"… I don't know."

"Come on, there had to be some reason."

"I just thought you were really weird. Maybe I wanted to find out why you had winked at me... What's the one thing you wish you could buy right now?"

"A big blow torch."

"I think I saw that coming."

"When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?"

"I think at one point I wanted to be Death."

"…What?"

"You know, because he wears all black and carries around that big scythe. I didn't really want to kill people, I just wanted to wear the outfit."

"That is one insane career goal."

"When did you stop dressing up for Halloween?"

"I haven't yet."

"… Really?"

"Yeah, I like dressing up as badass stuff. You should join me this year, you can be Death."

"… I might have to."

"What are you thinking about right now?"

"…That this is fun."

"Yeah, it is."

"What insulting name do people call you most often?"

"When I was a kid or now?"

"Um, I'll go with now."

"Cradle robber."


	7. Feburary

From my Balcony - Chapter Seven

Notes: I don't know when either of their birthdays are, just so you know. I made it up. Also, thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, I hope I don't disappoint any of you since this fic is really rather boring.

---

February

---

"Hey, thanks again for coming with me today," Axel said as the pair made their way down the street, toward their shared apartment building.

"Sure," Roxas responded, "Next time I'll try not to be so reluctant to leave the house." Their pace was slow and they kept their eyes on the ground.

"Yeah, geez, no wonder your friends think you're boring," Axel laughed, losing sight of where he was stepping for a moment. "Whoa!"

"That was close. Whose back would that have been again, your second cousin?" Roxas laughed. When they had first departed for the movie theater Axel had started the game where if you 'step on a crack' you 'brake your mama's back.'

"No, that would have been my great aunt, thank you very much. I haven't gotten to my cousins yet." When Axel had proven to be very bad at his own game, he had added a new rule. Each crack you stepped on was a different family member, so the game had never ended. Roxas had only broken the back of his parents and one grandparent.

"You must not like your relatives," Roxas said.

"I guess you'll be finding out when you see them at thanksgiving, you loser," Axel retorted.

"You're _still_ angry about that?"

"Of course! You shouldn't have said anything!"

"You're the one who brought it up with your parents. And you could have lied to me about it in that letter." Both of them had stopped looking at the feet and broke plenty of relative's backs in the process. Axel opened his mouth to respond, but quickly closed it.

"I wanted you to come," he mumbled instead. Roxas smiled and looked back down at his feet, immediately finding himself stepping on a crack. Axel wasn't looking, though, so he could still claim that his grandfather was safe.

That was why Axel didn't know that Roxas had already broken his own second cousin's back.

"So you're coming over to my place when we get back, right?" Axel said after a moment.

"Huh? What for?" Roxas looked up at the red head. Neither of them were looking at their feet again.

"For cake, of course. What's a birthday without cake, right?"

"Birthday? Wait, whose birthday?" Axel blinked.

"Mine, of course." When Roxas stopped in his tracks with a blank look, Axel laughed at him. "Haha! Oh yeah, that's right, I never told you." He turned and kept walking, expecting Roxas to catch up quickly. "That's why I wanted you to come to the movies with me today…" then Axel noticed that the blond had not been following him. "Roxas?"

"…I didn't get you anything!" Roxas burst out suddenly.

"Well, I figured, I didn't tell you or anything…"

"No, I have to get you something, I'll see you on the balcony!" Roxas said as he rushed off.

"Wait, what about the cake!" he faintly heard Axel call after him, but it was too late. Roxas was already running off in the other direction, wracking his brain, trying to think of what to get Axel.

---

When Roxas emerged from his apartment his shoulders were slouched and his eyes were downcast, dejectedly watching his feet drag himself out onto his balcony. Axel was leaning against the wall next to him, nonchalantly watching the evening sky, just like they did every day.

"Took you long enough," Axel said.

"I couldn't find anything good." Roxas answered.

"I know how that is. You didn't come back empty handed, though."

"The only thing I knew you wanted was a big blow torch, but I can't afford one of those, so…. Here." Roxas held out a grocery bag and Axel took it.

"…Red hots?" Axel asked, with a laugh as he pulled the bag of candy out.

"I told you I couldn't find anything," Roxas started, but Axel laughed again and interrupted him.

"This is awesome! I was afraid you were going to get me a lighter or something."

"…really? Would that have been a bad thing?"

"I've got millions of lighters, I don't need more, no matter how cool they look."

"That's what you get for being so obviously obsessed with fire, I guess."

"Yeah, it's my own fault," Axel said as he open the bag.

"So did I miss the cake?" Roxas asked slowly after a moment.

"We postponed the cake. No sense in eating it without you."

"Oh. You could have just saved me a piece."

"… You really think the cake would have lasted?"

"Alright, you have a point."

"Just come over tomorrow and we'll eat it."

"Axel?" Roxas said, hesitantly.

"Yeah?" Axel said, with a smirk.

"…Happy birthday."

The red head's smirk turned into a full fledged smile instantly.

"Thanks."


	8. March

From my Balcony - Chapter Eight

Notes: Another day, another conversation. This time Roxas gets a girlfriend.

---

March

---

"So today…"

"Yeah?"

"… I got a girlfriend."

"No way!"

"Yeah."

"Details, man, details!"

"What details?"

"Where did you meet her? What's her name? How long have you known her? Did you ask her? Did she ask you? How long have you liked her? How far have you gone already? The questions are endless!"

"Okay, one at a time."

"What's her name?"

"Namine."

"Where did you meet her?"

"Art class."

"…You draw?"

"No, I just need a fine art. And that had nothing to do with me getting a girlfriend."

"Well, I had to know. How long have you known her?"

"Since the school year started. She sits next to me in class and teaches me how to draw."

"Isn't that what the teacher is for?"

"Well, yeah, but she gives me more specific tips and stuff."

"I thought you said you didn't draw."

"Well, I kind of have to for the class."

"Alright alright, who asked?"

"I did."

"No!"

"Yeah. I mentioned her around my friends once and Sora would not shut up about how I should date her. I didn't even say anything about liking her."

"What did you say to her?"

"I asked if she wanted to go out with me."

"Man, you are so insensitive."

"She seemed to enjoy it just fine."

"Why, what did she say?"

"She made this funny squeaking noise. She apparently had a crush on me for a while."

"Oh, so you're popular with the ladies?"

"… No."

"Aw, you're embarrassed! How cute."

"Shut up."

"But I still haven't asked the most important question yet!"

"…What?"

"How far have you gone with her?"

"…What do you mean, how far?"

"Have you kissed her yet? Made out with her? Taken it to the bedroom? Come on. Out with it!"

"I haven't done anything like that yet!"

"What? Not even a peck on the cheek?"

"…No."

"Man, you're slow. I'm going to give you an assignment, Roxas."

"Oh great."

"I want you making out with her by the end of the week."

"That isn't happening."

"Why not?"

"I can't do that. I've never even had a girlfriend before."

"There's a first time for everything. Besides, the first one never lasts, you have to make the most of it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm just saying, no one ever marries their first girlfriend or boyfriend. It's just a fact."

"Gee, thanks for making me feel confident about all this."

"It's better you know this now before your inevitable break up messes you up."

"You know, I really don't need any help with feeling like dating Namine is a bad idea."

"Wait… You don't even want to date her?"

"It's not that I don't want to. I've just got this weird feeling like I shouldn't. Like I'm missing something important and Namine will get in the way or something."

"…"

"It's weird, I know."

"I think… I know what you mean."


	9. April

From my Balcony - Chapter Nine

Notes: You need to know two things for this chapter. One: Demyx is a marine biology major. Two: When Roxas mentions "rolling fat" he's referring to a joke about Ursula he and Axel made while watching The Little Mermaid. That's all.

---

April

---

It was raining. It had rained enough since the school year started for Roxas to know the drill well enough to skip the part where he stands on his balcony waiting for Axel, but he does it anyway. He tapped his foot impatiently, umbrella in hand, waiting for Axel to come outside. 

The door next to his finally opened slightly and Axel's head came out, being desperately protected by the man's arms.

"Roxas! Come over, it's raining!" he whined, and Roxas sighed in response.

"Alright, I'll be right there." There was no response, simply a closed door. Axel had probably rushed to his front door to wait for Roxas. That's what the red head had done every other time, anyway. That was why Roxas always walked _very slowly _to his neighbor's place on rainy days. Axel needed to be punished for being such a baby when it rained.

The door to Axel's apartment flew open before Roxas could even knock.

"Roxas! You're here! What took you so long?" Axel cried happily. Roxas couldn't suppress a small smile; the man really was not cool at all.

The apartment was empty save for them, and dark. The weather must have been making Axel feel depressed. They sat on the couch for a while discussing what they could do. Axel thought there was nothing because it was raining, so Roxas started naming off things you could do indoors to prove him wrong. Axel had begun curling his body into a ball and pleaded for Roxas to stop with no avail.

"Alright, enough already, I get it!"

"Or you could have a pillow fight, or you could wash the dishes, or you could watch a movie or-"

"Oh, we should do that!" Axel said, starting to come out of his ball.

"What? Wash the dishes?"

"No, a movie! It'd almost be like what we do all the time anyway. We could just sit here watching something and have conversations as thoughts come to us."

Roxas thought for a moment. "That is what we do, isn't it?"

"So what do you want to watch?"

"Well... what do you have?"

"To the movieshelf!" Axel exclaimed as he jumped to his feet and quickly made his way to what he called the 'movieshelf.' It was actually a rather large bookshelf filled completely with movies; there was even some left over to put in piles next to the correctly named shelf. As the man inspected the shelves in the middle, Roxas looked at the bottom shelf, pulling out a movie that looked particularly out of place in Axel's apartment.

"The Little Mermaid?" he read skeptically. Axel looked down at him and laughed.

"Oh, that? It's Demyx's. He's obsessed with fish, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. I don't think I've ever seen this."

"You haven't? Man, you're lucky Demyx hasn't made a reference to it around you, he'd kill you if he knew you hadn't seen it." The man took the movie from Roxas' hands and walked back over to where the television was.

"We're going to watch it?"

"Might as well watch it now, or you'll be watching it with a crazed fish fan later."

"… That's true. We'd better watch it now."

---

"That wasn't as bad as I had imagined" Roxas said when it was apparent that the movie had reached it's final few seconds.

"Yeah, most of the other princess movies are bad, but this one is okay."

"They should put more rolling fat in the other movies, that made the whole thing worth it." Axel laughed loudly.

"Yeah, something should have tried to eat Snow White or something so the strapping young prince!" Axel struck a pose, as if he were the prince in question, "could come save her!" he said dramatically.

"Yeah, save her from becoming fat herself!" Roxas replied, clasping his hands together in a princess like pose. "…Wait, why am I pretending to be the princess?"

"Because you're the small, defenseless high school freshman, and I am the burly, good looking college student!" Axel answered, in voices that matched each description. "Who else would you be?"

"What? I have more muscle than you do," Roxas retorted.

"But I'm taller."

"That doesn't have anything to do with this."

"Oh yeah? Why don't you prove it?"

"Maybe I will!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

"Fine!"

The fact that they had kissed did not hit Roxas until they had already done it. By no means had it been short or light. It had just barely still been chaste, and had lasted a good while. Now they both stared at each other, stunned confusion evident on both their faces. As the initial surprise wore off, their faces inched closer together again and Axel's hand began reaching for Roxas' face.

"I'm home!" Came a sing-song voice from the door way as Demyx bounded into the room. "Ah! The Little Mermaid! You guys watched it without me?" he cried as Axel snickered at him over the back of the couch.

"Yeah, we wanted to make it through the whole movie without having to listen to you yak on and on about every fish you saw!"

Demyx made his way around the couch to complain to Roxas who was staring intently at the credits rolling up the screen.

"You wouldn't have minded, right Roxas? It would have been educational!" he whined.

"Uh, I guess it wouldn't have been that bad," he said slowly.

"Don't let him fool you!" Axel cut in, "He would have babbled on incoherently and you wouldn't have understood a thing. Trust me, I've been through it plenty of times before," he said, making a shooing motion at Demyx.

"I'm not that bad!" Demyx insisted. They continued to argue and Roxas watched from his seat, occasionally chiming in in Demyx's defense.

They didn't speak of the kiss again.

---

Roxas' mother thought it was nice that he had kept Axel company while he had been home alone. She wasn't suspicious at all when Roxas headed straight for his room to sleep at a relatively early hour for the weekend. The blonde leaned against his closed door, slowly sinking down to sit on the floor as his fingers touched his lips lightly. He wasn't sure what to make of it.


	10. May

From my Balcony - Chapter Ten  
Notes: In case this is confusing, Axel speaks first in this chapter. Please remember that they have not spoken about the events in the previous chapter yet.

---

May

---

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What'cha thinking?"

"Nothing. really."

"Yeah right! If you weren't thinking you'd be dead."

"Or asleep."

"Nah, you dream when you sleep."

"Oh, I guess."

"So what are you thinking?"

"Uh, about my homework."

"That's a lie."

"What? I don't remember anymore, what does it matter?"

"I don't care what you were thinking about when I asked the first time anymore, I want to know what you're thinking now."

"Right now… I'm thinking about how much I hate this game."

"You don't mean that! You've gotten me good plenty of times."

"Not enough to make up for the times when you've gotten me."

"What? I never catch you thinking about anything embarrassing!"

"Not that you knew about, anyway."

"Ah! You lied!"

"So?"

"You're not supposed to lie when we play this game, it ruins the whole point of it!"

"Too late for that now, isn't it?"

"What were you thinking about all those times you lied?"

"You don't get to ask something like that."

"I do to! You broke the rules!"

"It was too long ago, I don't remember."

"That's a lie, too."

"Hey, it's your fault for not noticing when it was happening. That should be the only time you're allowed to ask stuff like that."

"This isn't fair!"

"Quit complaining, you're just jealous that I'm better at this game than you."

"No, I'm mad that you're hiding stuff from me."

"…"

"We're friends, aren't we? We shouldn't be keeping secrets."

"You're one to talk."

"What?"

"I'm going inside."

"Wait! Don't go yet! I don't care what you were thinking about before!"

"…"

"Come on, the sun isn't even gone yet."

"…Fine."

"I won't ask anymore."

"Sorry. I don't mean to keep stuff from you, it's just that…"

"It's just what?"

"…Nothing, never mind."

"No, you were saying something."

"It's nothing, really."

"I know it's not nothing, but… I did say I wouldn't ask anymore. Sorry."

"It's okay."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"What are you thinking about?"

"I want to know what you were thinking all those times before!"

"Hah… Sorry."


	11. June

From my Balcony - Chapter Eleven

Notes: This is like the climax of the fic.

---

June

---

The sun always set more slowly when there was nothing to talk about. Summer vacation left Roxas and Axel with less excitement about school to discuss so that most of the conversation was only their game of "what are you thinking?" That distressed Roxas greatly.

"What'cha thinking?" Axel asked, just as Roxas thought to do the same when his thoughts wandered into dangerous territory. He hesitated with his answer, and that was enough. "Ha! I caught you! No lies!"

"I just… I can't tell you." he forced out.

"Nu-uh! You have to, there's no way out of it this time!" Axel was far too excited about it for Roxas' taste. The blonde sat silent for a while, trying to think of some lie that would be odd enough to pass for embarrassing, but the only thing that came to him was the truth.

"It's… I can't stop thinking about it," he started.

"About what?"

"That… _thing_… When we…" more hesitation. The word sounded strange in his head and felt weird in his throat, "…kissed."

"…oh." said Axel, much less excited, and more reserved, as if he was embarrassed just as much as Roxas was.

"I tried to tell myself it was nothing, because you weren't bringing it up, and I sure as hell wasn't going to mention it but… I couldn't, it just kept bothering me, it was all I could think about. God, I even broke up with Namine over it."

"Shit, are you serious? Sorry about that, man."

"No, she could tell something was up, so she said I should take time to figure it out. But… shit, it's been two months and I'm more confused than I was in the first place!" Roxas cried, digging his face in his hands, embarrassment and frustration mingling and surfacing together in his emotions.

"…I never brought it up because I didn't think you wanted me to," Axel said after a moment. "I didn't realize… that it bothered you so much." His face and voice seemed… rejected, somehow.

"It didn't… bother me so much as it just… confused me, really," Roxas replied, looking away. He thought he felt his face heat and he was sure it was just the sun's last blazing rays. "I can't understand the why."

Most of his embarrassment was covered by surprise when Axel suddenly stood. "Say, why don't you come over for a second. We could, you know, pick up where we left off." he said, he face reddening slightly. "If you know what I mean."

Roxas stared at his feet for a while. Where they left off meant kissing Axel again without Demyx coming to interrupt them. That's what had confused him the most, that he had been on the verge of kissing the red head again while he was aware of what was happening. It hadn't made any sense. So he nodded, telling his mother that Axel had something to show him real quick so he'd be right back. His mother only nodded and said not to be out too late.

Axel was all smiles and jokes when Roxas came into the apartment. He had started to think the man was backing out of his own suggestion until they came to the room he shared with Demyx.

"Hey, Demyx, um…. Get out."

"What? First I can't go on the balcony and now I can't stay in my own room?" he said with a whine.

"You can go out on the balcony if you get out now." Axel's tone was edging closer to a threat, and Demyx either realized that or was excited about the balcony, because he left quickly and without any further complaints.

If Axel had been confident before, he showed no sign of it now. They stood awkwardly in the middle of the room behind the closed door, trying not to stand too close or look at each other. Roxas thought he saw Axel's mouth move in an attempt to speak several times before he actually did.

"So we were…"

"Sitting," Roxas finished when Axel looked like he might not continue speaking.

"Yeah! Sitting…" the red head glanced around the room for a moment before settling on his own bed. Roxas followed suit, and then they were silent again.

"And we were just…" He was going to say 'about to kiss' but Axel finished the sentence differently.

"Arguing about you being a princess!" Roxas glared.

"I'm telling you, I'm not a princess." he said plainly, forgetting for a moment why they were there.

"And I'm telling _you_, you have no choice!"

"If you say it's because you're taller again, I'm going to punch you."

"Well, that is a large factor."

"It's not a factor at all, I could take you easily."

"Yeah right! Let's just see about that. You, me, arm wrestling, right now."

"I hope you're prepared to lose!"

"That's my line!"

Suddenly, they stopped. They pulled back and sat up straight again, eyes wide; they had unconscientiously began leaning towards each other as they were arguing.

"I think I almost kissed you again…" Axel said slowly.

"Me too…" Roxas said just as slowly. They began closing the distance between them again, this time on purpose.

"This really is where we left off." Again, Axel's hand began reaching for Roxas' face.

"And this is the part where Demyx comes in…" But there was no interruption this time, their eyes already closed and their lips already touching before the blonde even had a chance to properly finish his sentence.

The feeling was… rather ordinary now that Roxas could actually pay attention to what was happening. It was not as if he had never touched anything with his lips, and so far that was all he and Axel were doing. They pulled away slightly and simply looked at each other for a moment. That had not answered any questions, but they were kissing again before he could really contemplate anything.

This time Axel's mouth was moving against his. _That_ felt different, better even. The taller man was kissing him harder now, almost pushing Roxas to his back so that the boy had to reach up and clutch the other's shoulders just to keep himself upright and attached to the man's lips. This time when they pulled apart the blonde's breathing was heavier. There had been no time for breath with that kiss.

"Figure anything out?" Axel asked. Roxas' brows furrowed and he shook his head slightly.

"I think… I want to keep kissing you, but I still can't figure out why."

"At least you know you like the kissing," he commented with a slight smirk.

"Yeah, but that's all I know."

"Well, I figured out why I like kissing you awhile ago, maybe knowing that will help."

"You did? Why?"

"… I have a big, fat, crush on you."

Roxas turned away in a futile attempt to hide the fact that the flesh of this skin was heating visibly. Despite having kissed Axel three times already, there was something considerably embarrassing about sitting next to the red head suddenly. He shouldn't have been so surprised, really. After all…

"Roxas? You don't have to give me an answer or anything like that, I already know you're confused," Axel was saying with an affectionate pat to the boy's head.

…Isn't that the only reason people kiss each other at all?

"Holy crap," Roxas breathed, "I must be slow, or something," he said as facts of life began dawning on him.

"What? You were just confused, that's understandable…"

"No, I think…" More and more kept filling Roxas' head, instances when he should have realized Axel's feelings, instances when he should have realized his own feelings, all bombarding him at once despite having eluded him all that time before. It was so simple, so obvious! Anyone else would have seen it instantly. "I think I've had a crush on you since I met you."

Axel's facial expression made it look as if Roxas had just said something insanely stupid. "Well, that's good to know," he said, expression not changing, but moving in to kiss Roxas again anyway. The boy met him half way and there was something undeniably different about the kisses after their short conversation.

A half hour later, Roxas managed to glance at a clock and jumped when he saw what time it was. Their kisses continued, however, when the boy figured he could tell his mother that Demyx had a new fish and that Axel's room mate had kept him from getting home like he said he would.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," Axel replied as he gently pushed the boy back down on the bed.


	12. July

From my Balcony - Chapter Twelve

Notes: Last chapter. It isn't much of a finale, but the boys are just going through their daily lives, so a clear cut ending would make it seem as if they had died. Thank you all for your feedback! It's made posting this here really worth it. I loved writing this, so I'm glad so many of you have enjoyed reading it.

---

July

---

"God damn! How long have I known you and I still don't know how to shop for you."

"I guess it's good that I'm not a girl, then. Then I'd actually care about you getting stuff for me."

"Holy shit, you'd make a crappy girl."

"…What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, nothing. You're just too… well, apathetic, I guess."

"And too gay."

"No no, you like guys, so that'd be the only girly thing you'd be good at."

"I don't know, I was pretty cruddy at liking you. I didn't even swoon or anything."

"You should stop complaining about how sucky of a girl you make, or I'll start calling you 'princess' again."

"Please, God, no. Those were the worst two weeks of my life."

"Hahahaha! That's what you get for being so damn girly!"

"I'm not girly! I beat you in that arm wrestling match! You're the girl."

"We were almost evenly matched, that doesn't make me girly."

"It makes you more girly than me."

"I think not, you face is so girly that it makes up for my being only slightly weaker than you."

"Bu-what? My face isn't girly!"

"Look at those huge eyes! Only girls have eyes that big."

"What the he-"

"Anyway! God, I still don't know how to shop for you! How long have I known you!"

"…. I can't really blame you, we practically know nothing about each other. None of our conversations have any real content."

"They sure as hell don't. That was the twentieth time we've had that conversation about you being a girl…"

"…"

"…I mean, you not being a girl. And how long _has_ it been? Since I met you, I mean."

"…. Eleven months, one week and 5 days."

"Holy shit! The boy's been counting!"

"Shut up, I only know because it was around when school started."

"Sure it was."

"What are you shopping for anyway? Christmas isn't for another five months."

"Your birthday. Because, you know, it's _today_."

"Damnit, how did you find out?"

"Aha, planning on pulling an Axel, where you? Too bad! I asked your mo-om."

"Why didn't I think of that?"

"… Because my mom doesn't live here?"

"I could have asked Demyx."

"I guess that's true. So, here you go. Happy birthday, kiddo."

"……… I-is this….."

"A giant tub of ice cream? Yes, it is."

"Sea-salt…?"

"Of course! God, I know you at least a little bit, have some faith."

"… I'm going to get spoons."

"………… You know, you only needed one."

"I'm going to make you eat it, too."

"… You still only need one."

"… Oh."

"Well, eat it!"

"Axel…"

"Hm?"

"Thanks."

"Heh."

"… Now you eat some."

"What?"


End file.
